Chapter 18: Training Begins

AN- Bloody hell, it's been awhile. *Checks calendar*. Well, oops? Another of the Big Three has literally ended since the last update. In my defence, Real Life is STILL a pain. Better late than never though, I guess? Here's hoping we accelerate towards the actual plot. Things're still a happenin'.

Disclaimer: I own nothing, aside from my OC's. To quote my dear friend, Stereotypical Yaoi Fangirl, "My totlly originl amd awesome Caracterz, plz don't steal."

Beta: Darth Vulturnus.

While drinking in memory of a friend is certainly a nice idea in practice, in reality the after effects really make you have second thoughts.

"Oh god, Javan, my head feels like a first time Dark Souls player- thoroughly crushed. Why, oh why, did anyone ever invent this terrible liquid called alcohol?"

"I still find your reaction hilarious."

I winced, even in my mind it was far too loud. "This was my first proper drinking session; you know?"

"And what is more traditional than your first HANGOVER FOLLOWING SAID DRINKING!"

"Oh Soul King, make it stop!" I pleaded.

"Quieten down already! I think I'm dying over here." Hissed Daichi. I cracked open one eye, and after my eyes adjusted I could finally see the condition of me and my friends. Most of us were still dead to the world, asleep on the floor of the pub we first visited. Daichi was lying on a table, a perfect recreation of a pyramid using cans and bottles laid atop him. After saying his fill, he turned over as if to block out all noise using the mass of the table. Due to his motion the pyramid collapsed, and one of the bottles rolled off the table and shattered. To his right, Akimi (Who lay in a puddle of her own drool) briefly snapped awake before she decided 'fuck this, it can wait until the afternoon, I'm sleeping now', and promptly collapsed back into a fit of snores.

"Note- Javan, remind me to tease her mercilessly over her improper behaviour, drooling and snoring."

"Duly noted."

But where is everyone else?

Hayato, may the heavens strike him down, seemed relatively unphased over last night's events. Apart from his uniform being a bit ruffled, he showed no obvious signs of a hangover. I was honestly jealous of him, sitting there with a cup of fresh coffee and a book in hand.

And Kasumi? I looked down, and realised just why I had lost all feeling in my lower body. Somehow in the night Kasumi had found my legs, clamped down hard, and was now reminiscent of a bear trap. I tried to wiggle out, but her grip only got tighter. I was almost certain that I would need to amputate both limbs now.

"Awake." Noted Hayato in barely above a whisper.

Hoorah! A final hope. "Hayato, buddy, old chap. Do your friend a favour and give me a hand... Hayato, that doesn't look like a hand. That looks like my Denreishinki phone. In fact, Hayato, it looks like you stole in from my person when I was- hang on, Hayato, what are you doing with that?" SNAP. "Oh, great. You're taking pictures. Compromising pictures. Perfect for blackmail. You do realise I'm just going to delete them when I get it... Hayato, why are you still fiddling with it? Please tell me you aren't sending it to someone who's contact details you know?"

"I'm not."

"Really?"

"No, I am. You just told me to say that."

"...Beware the quiet ones, Marcus."

"Beware them indeed..." For all Hayato is normally the forgotten one from my colourful group of friends (With Daichi and Akimi being much more vocal, Kasumi more memorable and adorable, myself being me and Mika having been... well, really nice), he had a mischievous streak just as wide if not longer than Daichi.

Still, while those images would no doubt bite me in the ass at a later date, this was actually a blessing. It was only myself and Hayato who were presently awake, and I'd been meaning to speak to him alone since even before Mika's untimely end.

Right now, at this moment, we were alone. There was no escort, no bartender watching in, and even my friends were out of it for the next few hours and so would be unable to question what I would be bringing up.

"Hayato... I need to tell you something." I said almost silently. The bookworm heard though, and dutifully approached. He sat beside me and nodded, giving me permission to tell him what I wanted. I pulled myself upright (Since only my lower body was dead to me), and leant against his back. There were barely a few inches between my mouth and his ears.

I carefully selected my words, then spoke as softly as I dared. Even if I assumed us to be alone, that was no guarantee. Every precaution was necessary. "Be very careful, Hayato. You shouldn't have joined the Fifth Squad. I can't say much, but you should be wary of a certain authority figure. There is something... off about Aizen. He wanted you in his Squad for a reason. Just... trust me on this, and don't spread this about, okay?"

"Okay."

Then I leant away from him and said in a louder voice. "I regret everything about last night. Let's not do this again."

My sudden declaration wouldn't fool anyone, but it was enough to tell Hayato that our conversation was over- I'd said what I need to, what I could.

"And that will have to be enough, Marc. While he needs to be wary, he can't be too wary. Our bacon is still in danger, after all."

"Constant vigilance."

XXXXXXXXXX

"How are you settling in?" Asked Momo with a smile as she sat down at my table in the mess hall. The Fifth Squad Barracks were sufficiently stocked and well maintained (No doubt due to Aizen's influence), and had no shortage of things a prospective Shinigami could want. Luckily, that included free food.

"Pretty well." I put my sandwich to one side. "I've only been here for two weeks, but I've been getting along fine. Admittedly I have yet to have a mission yet, and have been bogged down with paperwork, but I've put in some good training too."

For a single second Momo's expressions darkened, but she was far too cheery a person to ever look that way for long. "I'm glad that you're doing well! And don't worry about the mission thing. Captain Aizen has been speaking with the other Captains, and you know that we're basically just waiting for permission from the Second Squad concerning whether you are 'safe' to be sent out."

"Tch." Damned higher ups. The casual racism displayed towards outsiders still irked me, even if some of their worries were warranted. "I can't wait to be sent out for some proper combat experience. I mean, all my other friends have already had their first missions."

Hell, some of them have had two. Akimi was basically on the fast track in the Sixth Squad due to her inherent abilities, her reputation and her status as a noble, and was already taking advantage of her rank to get better missions. She hadn't even had to go through an Unseated portion of time, and had just been handed the vacant Nineteenth Seat position and left to enjoy. Daichi was surviving the Eleventh Squad as an unseated member, but at least he'd been dragged along for a group mission to slay some Hollows in the Rukon District, and got some good physical tortur- training. Meanwhile Kasumi just carried on as she was, because, well, she's already a Third Seat.

Even my closest (in proximity) friend Hayato had gotten to enjoy a mission. There was rumour on the grapevine that due to Hayato's success in slaying a Menos Grande he might not be an unseated officer for long, and that Momo was just waiting for him to get some more experience before giving him a promotion.

"Don't worry! It won't be long before they give you the all clear. If you're lucky, I might even tag along as your 'escort'."

"I just want to say for the record that it's bullshit that I still need an Escort whenever I go out for a mission." It was bad enough having Shinigami shadowing me whenever I went out, having it carry over to missions was just going too far. "I mean, sure, I get why they do it. Shove a higher seated officer with me so that they can feasibly take me down if I take advantage of the opportunity and go rogue, but it just seems so..."

"So petty?"

"Yeah. That." I sighed, but picked up my sandwich and carried on devouring it. Beside me the Lieutenant began eating her own lunch.

"Marc, maybe now is the time to ask her about what we were discussing earlier."

"Hey Momo," I began casually. "what would it take to get you to train me?"

Through her graceful smile it was almost impossible to see her displeasure at my question- if I hadn't been so used to Mika, I never would have spotted it. "Train you? Sorry, but I'm far too busy to personally train someone."

"Except that you had the time to teach me Kido in your spare time." I reminded her, waggling my baguette at her chidingly.

"Lieutenant duties leave me very busy as of late."

"I'm sure they do." I nodded, before pressing ahead. "But seriously, let's just lay all the cards on table. You don't want to train me further than you already have because you fear I'm gonna go all 'wroar, Itachi!' with it."

The bemused look on Momo's face was almost worth using that reference. "Sorry, I don't get it."

"Basically, you're still uneasy over the whole 'revenge on Omega' thing. Still, think of it instead as 'aggressive justice' or just 'teaching me to defend myself'."

Momo's smile almost slipped, almost. "Marc, I've grown to quite like you as a person, over the last few years. I liked teaching you Kido, respect your stubborn nature, and find the way you don't give up commendable, but please don't press me on this. I don't like the idea of revenge. And I don't want to see you lose yourself on that path."

She did have a good point. Javan had to remind me quite frequently not to take my desire for justice too far. I wanted Omega dead, but I had to keep in mind just how much more I cared about keeping my friends safe. I couldn't afford to go all Sasuke on this. Besides which, its not like Omega was my only motivation for seeking training. There were still a dozen or so other problems I had to survive in this Shonen setting, and with my luck I just knew that I'd end up knee deep in the canon even were I to try to flee.

And without the Miracle Ichigo Power Up, I was stuck to doing what everyone else needed to do to get stronger- train.

"Me walking down that path doesn't mean much when Omega is coming to me in the first place." I reminded. "He broke through the Seireitei defences once, and he'll do it again. He will return, even if I don't know who he is or why he's got it out gor me and I don't... I don't want to see anyone else die. Honestly, I can't chase after Omega anyway, as I can't leave the Seireitei alone, remember?"

I could see Momo considering my words, but she wouldn't buckle easily. I don't think it's in Momo's nature to hate; she can't know what I feel, and so she doesn't understand why I act. Therefore, I appeal to reason.

"And even if you don't train me, I'll carry on alone. Omega WILL come, and I WILL confront him. All you'll do is determine just how high my chances against him are. I have to put in twice the effort just to stay even with my peers, so if I train alone I'll stay just barely average. If I want any chance of winning though... I have to get good, fast. And you're my only option."

"There is Captain Aizen. He can help you, talk to you."

"But I chose you." this I stated confidently, as I couldn't afford the price Aizen would cost. Plus, considering I was also prepping to try and survive what the eventual renegade was going to create was a pretty damn good reason for not seeking his help for training. "We have a good dynamic, and I trust you. Just help me occasionally, offer a few hints here and there, maybe spar sometimes. It isn't much."

At this point I bowed slightly, as best I could while sitting on a bench. "Please, help me."

The kind woman was still hesitant, but I think I've gotten through to her.

"Fine." She sighed, pushing her tray away. "If you really want my help, then I won't let you down. But I expect you to take our lessons seriously."

"Yes ma'am,"

"And I won't go sharing anything too dangerous."

"Of course."

"And if I tell you to rest, or stop, or take a break from training, you will."

"Still totally worth it."

"Then I will see you Thursday evening." Momo rose, abandoning her half finished food. "Marcus... I'm sorry its come to this. You really shouldn't have to worry about things like Omega."

"No. I shouldn't." I told her, unable to truly relate to her just how truthful that statement was. Even as far as Self Inserts go, Omega was never in the job description. "But somebody has to do something."

XXXXXXXXXX

We met in the meditative gardens rather than the training grounds I'd been expecting. She sat quietly, a small smile on her face, and two cups of steaming tea sitting before her. I took the unsaid que and sat across from her.

"So, what will you be teaching anyway?" I asked her after a moment.

"The most important thing of all." She announced. "I won't be teaching you fancy Kido, and I won't show you any new fighting abilities. I'll be focussing on a single thing- helping you reach Shikai."

"Didn't you complain about people who solely rely on their Zanpakuto's when we discussed Kido? Ain't that a bit hypocritical?"

Momo pouted. "I did say that, and I'm not wrong, but that doesn't mean the conventional view doesn't have some merit. Gaining Shikai is one of the best ways for a Shinigami to gain power. Simply by obtaining it your spiritual power rapidly increases, so sometimes an officer can jump several seats just by earning it, even without considering their abilities. Likewise, the Shikai itself is a useful weapon and tool, and depending on what abilities it possesses can become the support on which your entire style is formed."

"So basically Shikai quickly increases your power, giving you new abilities and a permanent boost, while developing your Kido, Zanjutsu, Hoho and Hakuda gradually improves your abilities."

"In the short term obtaining Shikai will let you rise above your peers, while in the long term improving your four core skills will make you a truly better Shinigami." I concluded.

"Exactly. I prefer the idea of improving your core skills, as someone well versed in the basics can easily match an unskilled fighter who relies on their Zanpakuto. Still... you are right in that Omega will be back. You gaining Shikai is the best way to give you even a small chance of survival. The new power will hopefully give you an edge, while the extra spiritual power available to you will ensure that your present abilities will be stronger and can be maintained in a longer fight."

"So how will sitting here and drinking tea help me gain Shikai?" I asked, as I took a sip. Just the right blend- the Lieutenant remembered my preferences. "More meditation won't help me- I already communicate with my Zanpakuto frequently. Likewise, my unusual circumstances means that my Zanpakuto physically can't tell me his name."

"Then its pretty clear, isn't it?" She smiled wide and leaned in. "If your blade can't tell me the name of your soul, you'll have to figure it out yourself, won't you?"

SLAM! Faster than I could perceive her moving, Momo left her place and returned, slamming a massive pile of books, tomes and scrolls before me. The pile was so large and heavy that just by dropping the pile the tea in my cup shook and spilled.

"Ummm... what is this."

"Wweeelllllll… these are just a few books from my own collection that I thought might be useful. You know- tomes on philosophy, books on the nature of the soul, more detailed accounts of how people in the past obtained their Shikai's, deeper analyses of what Zanpakuto are- that type of thing."

"I like reading. I like it a lot. And yet, I don't think it's physically possible to read all those books before I die."

"Bloody hell, it's so tall Momo had to push it back into shape just now to stop it toppling over." Javan was almost amazed at this point. "Just how strong is she to carry all that effortlessly?"

"More than strong enough to break all the bones in my body." Beat. "Hey, you think that the reason why higher ups like Byakuya are so grouchy is because they can't get laid without breaking all the bones in their partner's bodies by accident?"

Javan sniggered. "Maybe its best not think further on that. Who knows though, maybe Aizen would give up his evil plan if he just had a little stress relief."

"Don't be silly Marcus!" Momo practically cheered, bringing me back to the conversation at hand and the literal library of books on the table. "It won't take more than five years for a fast reader to get through them all!"

"Can't we start on the absolute necessary ones, then move onto others if necessary?"

She frowned. "But that's boring."

"No," I jabbed a finger at the spine of a random book. "'Case Studies on the Nature of Spiritual Prognosis' sounds boring."

"It was a rather dry read, but who knows what will be necessary for you to figure out Shikai?"

"As I said, I still don't get how this will help."

"And I told you, you need to find out the name of your soul." Momo's tone was exasperated. "Shikai is hard enough to obtain naturally when your Zanpakuto is just waiting for an opportune moment to present it, so in your case it'll be a much harder task for you. To name your soul you must understand it, and understand yourself."

Momo lightly tapped the pile of books affectionately. "Unfortunately, Shikai is still a journey one must make alone. I'll help, and you can ask me anything, but it will be your understanding which makes Shikai so."

"Then again, we've known this for awhile, Marc. We knew just how tough Shikai would be for you. To understand yourself is not an easy thing. Hell, zen masters spend centuries puzzling over these things. To even understand the barest of your pure nature is an undertaking."

Even so, the pile was daunting, even if its knowledge was tantalising. Any bets on whether Momo's stash contained things restricted in normal libraries? "Well, if you've gone to the effort of bringing them, I might as well start reading, huh?"

With a wince, I stood up and plucked the uppermost book. As expected, it was written in kanji. It was going to be a long day...

XXXXXXXXXX

We stood opposed, neither moving as we waited for the other to move. The tension was high, and neither of us desired a single misstep. Then, between breaths the fight began. My opponent moved, disappearing in a burst of Shunpo. Then I reacted. By this point in time, it had been ingrained into me to immediately throw a fireball behind me whenever my foe disappears in a burst of speed. Because where else are you going to hit someone other than behind?

My ploy was correct; the swift thrust of my opponent was halted as the elemental attack sought to scorch him. Primarily, my enemy's higher power was his physical attack. While he had quite a good control of Kido, it didn't change the fact that for now he was focusing on Zanjutsu. And stabbing a fireball doesn't work in practice.

He was forced to deflect the spell, buying me critical time. As a slower fighter, I had to take advantage of every opportunity. I used Shunpo, then cut. I swung low to the ground, aiming for the legs. A jump to dodge this, then a roundhouse kick to counter. The foot struck my arm, and I buckled. Without another thought, my Zanpakuto was discarded and the hand which held it clamped hold of the respective limb.

"Hado No 11: Tsuzuri Raiden!" Yeah... the spell designed to produce an electric current did its job, and forced him to disengage. I took full opportunity of his attempt to get out of my reach. "Sokatsui!" It wasn't fullpower. Nowhere near that. But the point remains that I'd just thrown a blast of fire into a dude's torso, so even with the attack de-clawed, it was gonna hurt.

This, if anything was the time to strike. "Hyagh!" I roared, then thrust with all my might and speed. The result was almost expected. He surged around the stab, using a small burst of Shunpo to force his body in one direction, before using a secondary burst to push him onwards into my guard.

"It is over." He said, quietly, his rapier to my throat.

"Tch." I said, looking for a way out of this. There wasn't one. With that chance, he could have delivered a fatal blow. "I guess you win, Hayato."

He nodded, removing his sword and cancelling his Shikai state. My training partner looked winded, but not especially tired. It just went to prove what I already knew and had been told. Hayato was stronger than me now. In many ways he always had been, physically...

"But dat Shikai..." Reminded Javan.

"Exactly. Momo is right. Shikai really does push you to a whole 'nother level. Merely by virtue of possessing it you jump right past your peers."

Still, it didn't matter that Hayato had beaten me yet again using his superior reserves and physical abilities. If anything, it was good, as he was stronger. But this meant I had a long way to go if I wanted to protect him and my friends. I really needed to get my own Shikai.

"Again." I demanded, re-summoning my blade and entering my sword stance.

My friend tilted his head and smiled accommodatingly. "Agreed. Again."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Marc, why the hell is the training room on fire!?" Momo practically screeched.

I winced at her tone, but I acknowledged her point. The floor was scorched, smoke billowed and the flame roared. "The real question is why the training room wasn't on fire before now." I chose to answer sagely.

"That's not a real answer nor a proper question and you know it!" Momo hissed. I think this was the angriest I'd seen her in a long time "I mean, why? What did the room ever do to you?"

"In my defence, the room isn't really on fire. It's mostly scorched and smoking; only the training dummy is actually alight." I countered.

"Yes, but that dummy is fireproof. It was literally designed by the Twelfth Squad to be untouchable. Even a Captain would have difficulty burning it. Just how did this happen?"

"That is a good question, actually." Mused Javan. I could imagine him scratching his chin thoughtfully.

"You know... I have no answer to that one." For the life of me I had no idea how the Kido I was working on was able to inflict such damage.

The Lieutenant was literally on her knees at this point. "I know that we technically have the funds to repair this, but the paperwork... the paperwork." Then, she shot to her feet. "This is your fault, ergo, all the paperwork is yours." It was not a request but a demand. This was a dictatorship, after all.

"Sure." I nodded. Seemed reasonable. "Still, we might want to call up the Kido Squad or something. I think the fire is spreading."

"Don't even get me started on how the warded floor was scorched too." Momo warned. "I think that this is literally the last time I let you do anything unaccompanied."

"In my defence, it isn't like I was practising alone." I pointed to the corner of the room where Hayato sat with a book, even now reading despite the literal firestorm happening not four meters away from him. He looked up briefly, gave a small wave, then returned to his own studies.

The woman looked like she wanted to protest more, but in the end she gave up and sighed. "Just... just do the paperwork, okay? And make sure that next time-"

"that next time I don't set fire to the fireproof training room?"

"... actually, I was going to say 'make sure that next time it isn't you which is burnt', but I suppose both are appropriate messages."

The leg of the training dummy snapped, and it toppled over.

"Yeah... maybe I should be a little more careful."

Only a little, mind you. I was getting far too into Aizen's Suspicious Kido Book to just turn back now at the first sign of trouble.

"In the words of a certain Chicago based Wizard who has probably said something of the sort at some point, 'if the house is going to be on fire, and will be my fault regardless, what's the harm in pressing on?'."

"Seriously though, Marcus... I taught you Kido throughout the entirety of your time at the Academy, and I taught you well. You know the potential risks that come with studying Kido, so please just promise me that you'll take the necessary precautions."

In the face of the dazzling look on her face, could I say anything else but yes? "Of course. Next time I'll definitely put some more distance between myself and my target. Or at least a human shield."

"Wonder how that asshole from the Academy is doing?"

"... you make it very hard for me to not rush to my office and arrange a transfer, you know?" Momo commented.

"Meh. I'm your beloved Apprentice. You know you won't let another Squad have me."

"True." She agreed. "Doesn't mean that the urge isn't still there."

"Relax. I doubt I'll be setting the training room on fire again any time soon."

XXXXXXXXXX

On a completely unrelated note, Momo found herself filling in more paperwork several days later after her Thirteenth Squad reported fire damage in the Training Room.

"At least this time he actually put it out." Momo grudgingly admitted, before pushing her paperwork aside to try and track down some aspirin for her quickly growing headache.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Owwww... the pain." a familiar voice cried out. I paused briefly, on the verge of leaving the ward I was in. I'd just finished having my regular check in with the Fourth Squad and Unohana ("Same rate of matter/reshi conversion, though the rate of your spiritual reserves growth is starting to hasten"), as well as checking in on Kasumi while she worked, when I heard him.

"Ouch... still in pain!"

"Yup. That's Daichi alright." Said Javan dryly.

"What do you think's up with him?"

"Well why don'tcha check up on him like the pal that you are, huh?"

I rolled my eyes, but complied, entering the room I heard the cries coming from. Within the other room Daichi was there, and he was bandaged up to his neck and had his right leg in a cast.

"Oh my god Daichi, what the hell happened?"

"Hell happened." Spat Daichi. "Truly Beelzebub has put a devil aside for me... and his name in Kenpachi-freaking-Zaraki."

"Want to talk about it?"

"No, what I want is that Captains bloody corpse at my feet, maybe some pain killers, and perhaps a good night's sleep too. But yeah, I guess I could talk about it."

I slid into the seat besides his bed. "Tell me more."

"Oh- it was terrible! Apparently our Third Seat said this year's recruits looked a little scrawny, so he put us on the Remedial Sparring Course."

"What's so bad about that?" I inquired, already anticipating the answer.

"Do you remember when Kenpachi came in to teach our class that one time?"

"Yeaaahhh?" I motioned for him to elaborate, trying not to think too hard about how the last time I saw Kenpachi I'd just Kido Punched him in the groin.

"Its like that, but on steroids. First yer spar with someone, then if yer win you get a minute to recover before the Third Seat, Fifth Seat and Lieutenant start chasing you to try and cut you up."

"Then why didn't you, y'know, loose?"

"Because if you lose then the Captain chases you." the pervert shivered. "If you win, you lose. If you lose, you lose harder. You win if you don't get cut, and if you lose then you stay in the group to be chased until you aren't cut. If you escape then you go back to sparring and it all starts from the beginning. Hell, then at the end of the day, regardless of whether you've won or not, the entire division becomes one massive free for all where everyone who wasn't stuck in the same torture as you is free to wail on you."

"You know... that actually sounds terrible."

"Javan, I pity Daichi."

"Well, that's terrible and shit. I'm guessing that your present state is a result of said training."

"No." Daichi laughed darkly. "This happened after training. Apparently our Captain thought I'd done good that day, so came to congratulate me for it... by slapping me on the back so hard I ploughed straight through several walls and then since we'd been a few stories up when this happened, I fell."

"Ouch."

"Yeah. Worst bit was that Kenpachi literally forgot he'd done it to me seconds afterwards, and I was there waiting for help for an hour." He began to sob. "It got so bad I had to bribe Lieutenant Yachiru with the promise of sweets to drag me here."

"And by 'drag you here', you mean-?"

"Yup. She literally dragged me here."

"Simultaneous wince is simultaneous."

"Ummm... good luck with your recovery?" I said tentatively.

"Recovery? There isn't any recovery." He hissed. "I literally think that its impossible for me to survive that Squad! Third Seat Ikkaku visited me and told me to 'walk it off' because tomorrow I'm being moved to the Competent Exercise Regime."

"What happens there?"

"Almost the same freaking thing, except now you do it with weights attached to you, bags of candy strapped to your throat, and a hungry Yachiru assigned to chase you."

"Yeah... you're doomed."

"Please, Marcus, friend of mine, put me out of my misery."

"Sorry. If I do that, maybe Kenpachi would turn his attention to me when his new recruit of interest fails to show up."

"Better me than you, huh?"

"Yup." I said without hesitation.

He snorted. "Figures. I don't blame you. Oh well. I suppose I chose this outcome, didn't I? And if this doesn't give me the strength I need, then who knows what will?"

"Hang in there mate." I patted his shoulder reassuringly, before rising. "I'll make sure to tell Hayato you're here so he can visit you."

"Meh- please do. I literally haven't seen Hayato except for our group gatherings, so this might be a nice excuse. If I didn't know him any better, I'd say he's avoiding me."

"Avoid him? That would be really OOC." Javan noted. "Daichi treats him like a brother, and Hayato does the same to him. Hell would freeze over before that happens."

"Welp, I'm sure he's just busy. Anyway, see you later, Daichi."

He raised one arm as if in salute. "See ya in Hell, Marc. See ya in hell."

XXXXXXXXXX

The encounter was almost miraculous; such was its unlikeness. I was shunpoing while on the way back to the Division base to tell Hayato all about Daichi's hospitalisation when it happened, and figured I'd better get there sooner rather than later.

I was literally sweating as I sped through the streets. Running full out while using Shunpo was basically a training exercise in co-ordination and spatial awareness. Sprint through a crowded street at top speed for as long as possible. If you miss everyone, you win. You hit someone, you lose.

And also have a pissed off Shinigami.

Suffice to say, my control of what Hoho I could perform was growing quickly.

Then, as expected with my luck, I slipped.

My mind was out of it at the time, concentrating on the position of everyone around me, and I failed to spot a discarded banana peel. What was it doing there? Who dropped it? Why had nobody picked it up? And did its appearance prove the existence of a malevolent deity out there that loves to watch me suffer? Despite just how bad this was, I had to hand it to the world- truly this could only be a world operating on fictional laws, as this event was so cliché it was ridiculous.

Still, my second foot moved forward as if to continue to Shunpo... and then my slip became a maximum velocity slip. I barrelled into the closest person to me with the speed of a high speed moped, and together we crashed to the floor.

"Ohhh- the pain!" I wheezed perhaps a tad too dramatically, and opened my eyes. I realised that we were on the floor, and were linked together in a tangle of looped legs and entwined arms. I doubted I would ever be able to explain at a later date as to how a banana slip caused all of this to happen.

Oh yeah- the person I was tangled with happened to be a girl.

And just to add salt to the wound, my hand was currently clutching one of her boobs. It was admittedly a small one, but still a boob.

Then I saw the look in her eyes, and the small flicker as her gaze went from my hands to my face and then back again. Perhaps it was the adrenaline, maybe the shock of having a cute girl pressed against my body, or there was always the 'slightly suicidal' explanation. Either way, my hand Squeezed twice- I could practically hear the HONK, HONK.

"You're Dead." Concluded Javan, without sympathy.

"Y-you pervert! H-how dare you! Get off me!" In a struggle which ended with me sporting two shattered teeth, a black eye, bite marks on my lower thigh and probably a bruised spleen (While she sported only a messed up hair do and a slight limp), we finally untangled ourselves and separated. With a scowl, the short woman delicately got to her feet... and promptly kicked me in the balls. "That's for groping me!"

Without another word, she turned on her heel and marched away, leaving me to roll on the floor in agony and guard my precious nether regions uselessly.

"Ouch." I squeaked in a voice several octaves higher than normal, as I came to a stop. Truly, I would need to return to the hospital I had just left half an hour ago.

"Still... you have to hand it to her. The midget sure does have a strong kicking technique." my partner praised. I was sure that if I could see him, he would be holding up a placard with a score out of ten on it. I dreaded to imagine just what score it would contain.

"So she does... so she does. I just wish that our first meeting hadn't turned out like that." I muttered. Unable to put it off any longer, I staggered upright.

The consequences of this one meeting would have repercussions though. After all, this was the first of many meeting between Marcus D Solus and Rukia Kuchiki.

XXXXXXXXXX

Another slight tremor. Fate had other greater things to focus on while she watched the progress of her Agents and continued her analysis, but as expected a shard of her focus slipped away to lock onto the divergence. It was small, as many began.

Nothing more than a single odd meeting, occurring purely out of coincidence. It could have just as easily been a hundred other people.

Still, she had not the time to wonder what- if any- effect this brief meeting could inspire in the timeline.

Perhaps when she had more focus to dedicate to the task, she might be able to get a clearer image.

Until then, Fate would continue her tireless struggle against the Errors of the world. For such was her nature- stubborn. It was her purpose to eliminate Errors in the World, and when those Errors were gone (All of them, even if she regretted but a single one of them), only then would everything be right with the world.

AN- Huh... well, that was fun. I can't say much actually happened this chapter, but we've definitely got more set up. Marcus has learned never to get drunk again, Momo takes on a padawan, Daichi learns that I find his suffering almost as hilarious as Marc's, the training room is still on fire, while Marc's first interaction with Rukia Kuchiki is to grope her... yeah... I have no idea what happened to this chapter. Rest assured, I'm certain that soon we'll get back to the soul crushing plot at some point. So if anyone finds out where the hell the plot has gone, please let me know, and PM immediately. I'm get seriously worried about its whereabouts. Comedy and World Building are still loitering, but it isn't the same. They're getting lonely without Plot there to reign them in. Undying Soul out.